Tennessee is a right-to-work state with a minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
Anita Richey makes $10 an hour, but like most of America’s retail workers, she doesn’t work 40 hours a week (see story here).
The industry norm is around 30 hours (see story here). That’s by the employers’ choice, not what employees choose.
Working 30 hours at $10, Richey makes $300 a week, which is only $10 more than 40 hours at Tennessee’s $7.25 minimum wage.
This is a photo of the housing she can afford on that income — a tent in the woods. Read story here.